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Honors Program

Honors is a selective, two-semester program of individual undergraduate research, supervised by faculty advisers. Honors candidates propose, research, and write a thesis that contributes to existing scholarly literature in the chosen field of study. To satisfy department requirements, the thesis must examine some aspect of health and health care in its social and cultural contexts.

Requirements

  • 3.3 cumulative grade point average
  • 3.3 cumulative grade point average in the Department of Medicine, Health, and Society
  • Honors-related coursework during their senior year
  • An Honors thesis to be submitted no later than two weeks before the end of classes in the spring of the senior year
  • Successful completion of an oral examination focusing on the topic of the thesis

Coursework

Honors students have three options for course work, as outlined below. MHS 3000 is an interdisciplinary methods class that is not required but strongly suggested for all Honors students. MHS 4998 and MHS 4999 are one-on-one directed study courses with the thesis supervisor. (MHS 4998 and 4999 cannot count for elective credit, but MHS 3000 can count for elective only if taken with Option 1.)

  • Option 1: Students enroll in MHS 3000 (3 credit hours) and MHS 4998 (3 credit hours) in fall, and MHS 4999 (3 credit hours) in spring. In this option, MHS 4998 and MHS 4999 count toward the additional 6 credit hours required for Honors and MHS 3000 counts toward MHS elective credit.
  • Option 2: Students enroll in MHS 3000 (3 credit hours) in fall, and MHS 4999 (3 credit hours) in spring. In this option, MHS 3000 and MHS 4999 count toward the additional 6 credit hours required for Honors.
  • Option 3: Students enroll in MHS 4998 (3 credit hours) in fall, and MHS 4999 (3 credit hours) in spring. In this option, MHS 4998 and MHS 4999 count toward the additional 6 credit hours required for Honors.

How to Apply

Completed applications are due by April 1 of the applicant’s junior year and should be submitted via email.

Please include in your application:

  • The application form.
  • The thesis proposal.
  • A letter of recommendation from the faculty member who has agreed to be your thesis adviser. The letter of recommendation should be emailed separately by the faculty member.

Current Honors Students

  • Charu Balamurugan
  • Lohitha Basa
  • Anna Chang
  • Riya Chinni
  • Omotayo Fasan
  • Minoli Fernando
  • Samantha Joesphson
  • Justin Luckner
  • Anika Mahajan
  • Elisa Park
  • Angela Qian
  • Brina Ratangee
  • Savanah Shelley
  • Aryana Valedon
  • Kenia Virgo
  • Chaewon Kim
  • Fiona Wu

Past Honors Students

Liliana Capiola

Liliana majored in medicine, health, and society with minors in environmental and sustainability studies and biology. On campus, she served on the E. Bronson Ingram College Council and the MHS Student Advisory Board, and was involved with VSVS, SPEAR, and VEMS. Liliana is a certified EMR, and after completing her undergraduate degree, planned to go to medical school to pursue a career in emergency medicine. While in the honors program, Liliana will work with Dr. Tara McKay to explore the relationship between climate change and mental health.


Amanda Kouaho

Amanda majored in medicine, health, and society and cellular and molecular biology with a minor in chemistry. On campus, she was the founder and president of United Against Inequities in Disease, vice president of Cards for a Cause, and served as a STEM tutor for student-athletes. She was also a part of the Irish Lab at VUMC and conducts research on Glioblastoma cellular identities. While in the Honors program, Amanda worked with Dr. Lucie Kalousová to explore the relationship between maternal health literacy and positive maternal health outcomes.


Cassidy Latchford

Cassidy majored in child development and medicine, health, and society with a concentration in intersectionality, inequality, and health justice. On campus, she was a VUceptor; the senior advisor of Vandy Votes; a teaching assistant for Social and Personality Development; an undergraduate research assistant in the Laboratory for Organ Regeneration, Recovery, and Replacement; and secretary of Alpha Phi Omega. After completing her undergraduate degree, Cassidy planned to pursue medical school. Her research will analyze the influence of peer norms on substance use among LGBTQ+ adolescents. While in the Honors program, Cassidy worked with Dr. Kirsty Clark.


Nikol Nikolova

Nikol majored in MHS and minored in biological sciences and German studies. On campus, she was a member of a sorority, serves as the vice president of member development for the Panhellenic Council, worked as a research intern at the Biggs Lab, and plays club ultimate frisbee. Her dream of becoming a genetic counselor inspired the topic of her Honors research. She worked with Dr. Sophie Bjork-James to study patient satisfaction with cancer genetic counseling.


Hemanji (Hershey) Rajpal

Hershey double majored in neuroscience and medicine, health, and society with a minor in South Asian studies. On campus, she was involved in the South Asian Cultural Exchange (SACE), Vanderbilt Performing Arts Community (VPAC), BhangraDores, and InterAxon. She was also a TA for NSC 3245 and worked as a clinical research coordinator on the Neuro-Stroke Team in VUMC’s Department of Neurosurgery. While in the MHS Honors program, Hershey worked with Dr. Celina Callahan-Kapoor to investigate and characterize the diverse and dynamic care processes and caregiver burden involved in post-stroke recovery and rehabilitation.


Maia Regan

Maia majored in medicine, health, and society and minored in chemistry. On campus, she served on the executive board of the Vanderbilt Chapter of the American Women in Medicine Association, Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science, and Katie’s Art Project, which she founded her sophomore year. She also worked as a research assistant in the Conversation Lab in the Department of Psychology and Human Development and the Day Lab at VUMC Division of Clinical Pharmacology. After completing her undergraduate degree, Maia planned to attend medical school to pursue a career in pediatric surgery. While in the Honors program, Maia worked with Dr. Jessika Boles to explore parent/caregiver perception of care in their child’s transition from the pediatric intensive care unit to acute care or step-down unit.


Doah Shin

Doah majored in psychology and medicine, health, and society. Outside of classes, she was involved with Active Minds and Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science. She was also a research assistant at the Biggs Lab as well as the Culture, Emotion, and Health Lab at NYU. In the Honors program, Doah worked with Dr. Elizabeth Biggs to look at the composition of social supports and networks and their effects on parents of children with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jack Adams

Jack majored in medicine, health, and society with a minor in chemistry. On campus, he was involved in Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science, Seniors Give Back, and volunteered as a tutor for middle school children in the Nashville area. His research investigated the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the mental health of the U.S. population and how outcomes varied between different age cohorts and geographical regions. While in the Honors program, Jack worked with Dr. Gilbert Gonzales.


Mikayla Alsopp


Elizabeth Dang

Elizabeth pursued a dual degree in medicine, health, and society, and communication of science and technology. Outside of classes, she was a researcher in an immunogenetics lab at VUMC, a musician and orchestra manager of the Vanderbilt Commodore Orchestra, and a volunteer with various science and music organizations. Elizabeth is interested in evaluating approaches to health communication by medical professionals and trust between the public and medical professionals. While in the Honors program, she worked with Professor Alexander Jacobs.


Camryn Dinvaut

Camryn is a senior majoring in medicine, health, and society and French. On campus, she was involved in Vanderbilt Students Volunteer for Science, Vanderbilt Initiative for Public Health Equality, and Women’s Club Volleyball, where she served as a Community Outreach Co-Chair in her sophomore year. While in the Honors program, Camryn worked with Dr. Rosevelt Noble to explore how the experiences and mental health of Black individuals is impacted by occupational stressors in professional environments.


Madelyn Fahhoum

Madelyn majored in medicine, health, and society with minors in chemistry and Islamic studies. She served as the Diversity Showcase Chair for MOSAIC and as a volunteer crisis counselor for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, having received her training through Vanderbilt CITV. While in the MHS Honors program, Madelyn worked with Dr. Celina Callahan-Kapoor to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on incarcerated populations domestically.


Joseph (Joey) Fontana

Joey majored in medicine, health, and society with a minor in neuroscience. On campus, he was involved in Vanderbilt for Veterans, Men’s Club Soccer, VSVS, VSG, and was an LA for BSCI 1510. He also worked as a research assistant in the Johnson Laboratory in the Vanderbilt Center for Bone Biology, researching breast cancer metastasis to bone and breast cancer dormancy in bone. While in the Honors program, Joey worked with Dr. Gilbert Gonzales to explore veteran mental health and its associated risk factors.


Taylor Guzi

Taylor double majored in medicine, health, and society, and psychology with a minor in Spanish. On campus she was a member of the Chi Omega sorority and pre-nursing society. In Nashville, she volunteered as a mentor for high school students in MNPS and trained to be a Spanish interpreter at Siloam Health. She worked with Dr. Dominique Béhague, researching how an individual’s cultural background may influence the way they think about and respond to trauma, particularly in terms of cultural and historical trauma.


Corinne Hamrick

Corinne majored in medicine, health, and society, and minored in both anthropology and Mediterranean studies. Her interests lie at the intersection of bioethics and the medical encounter, and she hoped to attain an M.D. and M.A. in bioethics. She was on the executive board of Hearts for Homeless Nashville, serving as the marketing director and fundraising assistant, was the personnel chair of the Chi Omega Fraternity, was a writer for Synesis, and worked as an MCAT tutor. Her Honors thesis focused on treatment over the objection of incompetent patients and aimed to create a standardization of practices surrounding ethical review process in acute care facilities, under the advisement of Dr. Joseph Fanning with the Center for Medical Ethics at VUMC.


Alina Husain

Alina majored in medicine, health, and society and public policy studies with a minor in history of art. On campus, she served on the executive board of the Undergraduate Honor Council, chaired the Student Services Fee committee, and volunteered in Metro Nashville Public Schools through the PENCIL program. Her research focused on understanding the relationship between reproductive healthcare policies and the prevalence of gender-based violence across the United States. While in the Honors program, Alina worked with Professor Sophie Bjork-James.


Anish Katta

Anish majored in medicine, health, and society. On campus, he was on the board of Project RISHI, part of the American Medical Students Association, and oVRcome. While in the Honors program, Anish worked with Dr. Jonathan Metzl on his thesis, which explored the effects of COVID-19 on physician mental health.


Victoria King

Victoria majored in medicine, health, and society. On campus, she was the Zoom Coordinator for TAP, an after-school tutoring program for children, president of Cards for a Cause, and was a member of the NAACP. In addition, Victoria served as a student assistant for the Brightspace Support Team. Her research centered around the pandemic, studying the effects of COVID-19 on Black women. She planned to use this research to develop solutions that will eliminate systemic consequences in future pandemics. While in the Honors program, Victoria worked with Professor Tara McKay.


Judy Min

Judy double majored in psychology and medicine, health, and society. On campus, she was involved in Best Buddies, Alternative Spring Break, and the Asian American Student Association. She also worked in a research lab studying melanoma and breast cancer. After completing her undergraduate degree, Judy hoped to go to medical school to pursue a career in oncology. Her research touched upon how certain aspects of access to care can facilitate older LGBT access to cancer screenings appropriate for their age and gender. While in the Honors program, she worked with Professor Tara McKay.


William (Trey) Minter

Trey majored in medicine, health, and society and public policy studies, minoring in education studies. He was the head resident advisor of Murray House, co-president of the Vanderbilt University Concert Band and a member of Vanderbilt’s NAACP’s Political Activism Committee. Trey also served as an undergraduate research assistant to Dr. Dominique Behague in the MHS department. While in the Honors program, Trey worked with Dr. Dominique Behague to study the pitfalls of U.S. health reform, imagined new ways of constructing healthcare systems, and investigated the ways in which public health professionals influence current health policy.


Sreekar Miriyala


Keely Wilson

Keely majored in medicine, health, and society and political science with a minor in human and organizational development. On campus, she was the captain of the Vanderbilt Debate Team, competed in British parliamentary, social justice, and public forum debate styles. She was also a member of the Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity. While in the Honors program, she worked with Dr. Aimi Hamraie to explore the impact of age on young adults’ experiences with bariatric surgery.

Ese Aikhuele


Lauren Bauer

Lauren majored in medicine, health, and society, with minors in history of art and chemistry. She was involved on campus as a teaching assistant with the biological sciences department and worked as a research assistant with the cardiothoracic surgery department at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She was also a leader in multiple organizations on campus and hoped to continue to participate in research in her future, on her path towards medical school. In the Honors program, she studied the intersection of art and medicine with an emphasis on painting’s influence on patient therapy and physician practices with Dr. Aimi Hamraie.


Caroline Carlson

Caroline majored in medicine, health, and society and Spanish, with a minor in biology. She was very involved with an all women’s fitness and wellness organization, Studio V, and served as the president of Project C.U.R.E and was a first-year student VUceptor. For her Honors thesis, she carried out an ethnographic investigation of American physicians treating Hispanic/Latino patients battling type II diabetes in an attempt to understand and assess how current notions of health disparities, ethnic group belonging, and race theory impact how physicians view and treat their patients. While in the Honors program, she worked with Dr. Celina Callahan-Kapoor.


Nicole Davies

Nicole majored in medicine, health, and society and psychology. She was a sex educator at the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center and a research assistant at the Emotion and Anxiety Research Lab. Her research interests focused on pregnancy and mental health. While conducting her Honors research, she worked with Professor Megan Saylor and Autumn Kujawa. She hoped to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology after gaining further research experience.


Aditi Deepak

Aditi majored in molecular and cellular biology and medicine, health, and society, with a minor in Spanish. On campus, Aditi was an intern at the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH), a member of Vanderbilt Lakshya, the Bollywood fusion dance team, a teaching assistant for the MHS department, and launched Vanderbilt’s first global health journal. She also volunteered in her free time. Aditi’s research compared the HIV/AIDS movement with the abortion movement. Specifically, she examined legislation and media portrayal of the two issues. While in the Honors program, she worked with Dr. Sophie Bjork-James.


Lauren Gaither

Lauren majored in medicine, health, and society, and minored in German and biological sciences. On campus, Lauren was the head resident advisor of Zeppos Residental College, the vice president of faculty relations for the Senior Class Fund, and a member of the Social Justice Committee for the NAACP. She also enjoyed volunteering, painting, and mentoring in her free time. Lauren’s research examined the interaction of hospital technological advancements and patient education and explored their effects on various patient outcomes. Specifically, she examined the interactions of electronic medical records (EMR), artificial intelligence (AI), and patient health literacy on patient financial and health outcomes. While in the Honors program, she worked with Dr. Jonathan Metzl.


Rebecca (Becky) Hollenberg

Becky majored in medicine, health, and society with a minor in communication of science and technology. She was involved with Partners in Health Engage, Red Cross, and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health Student Advisory Committee. She also worked in a clinical research lab studying children’s asthma and allergies. While in the Honors program, she worked with Dr. Courtney Peterson to research imposter syndrome on Vanderbilt’s campus. She hoped to get her M.P.H. after graduation.


Kaitlin Joshua

Kaitlin double majored in medicine, health, and society and economics, and minored in literary studies. On campus, she was a resident adviser and was involved with Vanderbilt New Dawn and The Vanderbilt Review. Her research focused on the intersections of health policy, politics, and social media. While in the Honors program, she worked with Dr. Sophie Bjork-James.


Iris Kim

Iris pursued a dual degree in neuroscience and medicine, health, and society. She served as president of the Vanderbilt Asian American Student Association and lead MoveMENTAL, a new multicultural mental health initiative on campus. Iris was also an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Sohee Park’s Mind, Body, and Brain Lab. While in the Honors program, she worked with Dr. Jonathan Metzl to study the effects of COVID-19 on Asian American mental health.


Jessica Klein


Lindsay Mosca

Lindsay majored in medicine, health, and society and English. After completing her undergraduate degree, Lindsay planned to go to medical school to pursue a career in oncology. Her research focused on disparities in cancer screenings and outcomes in LGBT individuals. While in the Honors program, she worked with Dr. Gilbert Gonzales.


Zoë Mulraine

Zoë double majored in medicine, health, and society and Spanish. On campus she spent two years as an outreach worker through Students for Health Equity, three years on the Vanderbilt Cheerleading Team, and was a member of the Eta Beta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She researched with Dr. Derek Griffith, focusing on the impacts of the University’s sexual assault policies on the mental and physical health of Black and LGBTQ+ students.


Abhi Nathan

Abhi majored in medicine, health, and society and political science, on the pre-law track. On campus, she was the president of the Vanderbilt South Asian Cultural Exchange and also served as a peer mentor to the Commons House Advisory Councils. Her research focused on the impact of health, immigration, and economic policy on access to healthcare for immigrant communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. While in the Honors program, she worked with Professor Lauren Gaydosh.


Abinaya Ramakrishnan

Abinaya majored in medicine, health, and society and biological sciences. On campus, she was an Ingram Scholar, worked as an RA on Highland Quad, and enjoyed giving mental health presentations through LEAPS. Her research focused on evaluating the intersection of mental illness and substance use disorder among LGBTQ+ and criminal-justice involved individuals. While in the Honors program, she worked with Professor Gilbert Gonzales.


Lauren Ruby

Lauren majored in medicine, health, and society with a communication of science and technology minor. On campus, she was involved in Delta Sigma Pi Professional Fraternity, the Inside ‘Dores Admissions Blog, and Volunteers for Health. Her research explored the relationship between President Donald Trump’s hate speech and the experience in the female body. She investigated if females’ feelings of safety in their own bodies changed in the four years of Trump’s presidency. While in the Honors program, Lauren worked with Professor Caroline Williams.


Lana Schwartz


Noah Stanton

Noah majored in medicine, health, and society and history, and minored in anthropology and Chinese. She held leadership roles with Wilskills and Hillel, and volunteered with the Vanderbilt Emergency Medical Society. She also worked as a research assistant for the Vanderbilt LGBT Health Policy Lab. Her thesis aimed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on domestic violence services and resources in the Nashville area. While in the Honors program, she worked with Dr. Lauren Gaydosh.


Yumeng (Mong) Zhang

Mong majored in medicine, health, and society. Since her first year at Vanderbilt, she worked at the Vanderbilt Music Cognition Lab with the Music and Social Engagement Group led by Dr. Miriam Lense, who served as her MHS Honors adviser. She completed her senior Honors thesis on the modulation of parent infant-directed communication in relation to their child’s language development. On campus, Mong was also involved with Vanderbilt UNICEF and Tour Guides, and also volunteered as a W.O. Smith School violin teacher, and a music therapy assistant at the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.